Well, this was an interesting turn of events. Three days before a significant nonconference road game on national television, Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville went on the, um, defensive in his weekly press conference. Addressing rumors about his health, his drive, his job status and his future, Tuberville said he is “not a quitter.”

Tuberville’s statement about the rumors came during the introductory portion of his weekly news conference and was not prompted by questions from reporters. He said he decided to clear the air after being asked about his health Sunday at church. Tuberville likely fielded questions from prospects during his whirlwind recruiting trip this weekend.

“It’s just amazing the rumors that go around when things are not going as good as you would hope,” Tuberville said. “No matter what happens anywhere, you’re going to have years that things are not going to go perfect. That’s my job to get it straightened out.”

Things have seemed bad for a while now. A 3-2 win against Mississippi State. A fired offensive coordinator. A weak loss against Arkansas. A week ago on the weekly SEC conference call, Tuberville was asked about being passed by Alabama as the best team in the state and Tuberville simply said, “Next question.” It didn’t seem this bad, though. It’s one of those things that always seems to come before the end … and makes you wonder if this is the end.

One thing fans will be looking for Thursday is Tuberville’s demeanor. Will he be stoic like the past few weeks, looking like he’s posing for a spot on Mount Rushmore? Or will he show fire in the belly, a real desire to do what it takes to save his job?